Tech-Forums Top Rated Antivirus

[Osiris]

Re: Tech-Forums Top Rated Antivirus 2010

This is the best kind.

Antivirus programs, etc re all just a set of pre-written instructions. They're limited by the fact that they can't deal with anything they aren't programmed to.

Also, you can't fix stupid with programs.

Common Sense will not keep you from getting infected, especially with spyware/malware, etc that install silently without you knowing and they are all over the place. You need those pre-written instructions to remove the infection(s), you need to update those pre-written instructions to remove the infection(s), and without the pre-written instructions you more than likely will not be able to disinfect your system.

 

[Apokalipse]

Re: Tech-Forums Top Rated Antivirus 2010

Common Sense will not keep you from getting infected

It does.
The vast majority of spyware/malware is installed because the user inadvertantly gives permission for it to install.

especially with spyware/malware, etc that install silently without you knowing and they are all over the place.

For that to happen, your browser needs to let it happen. i.e. those pre-written instructions are instructing it to allow javascript code or web applications to be run.
Chrome 5 and Firefox can be set up to block javascript by default, and any modern browser will ask permission to install/run web applications.

You need those pre-written instructions to remove the infection(s)

Actually, you don't. You can just manually remove them.

you need to update those pre-written instructions to remove the infection(s), and without the pre-written instructions you more than likely will not be able to disinfect your system.

I find the success rate of manually removing malware/spyware better than with automatic tools.
Automatic tools just take less time - when they work.

I actually had MSE installed for a while, but it never actually did anything for me. So I uninstalled it.
Not because MSE isn't any good, but because I just never get infected with malware/spyware to begin with.

If I did, I would just manually remove it.

 

[Osiris]

Re: Tech-Forums Top Rated Antivirus 2010

It does.
The vast majority of spyware/malware is installed because the user inadvertantly gives permission for it to install.
For that to happen, your browser needs to let it happen. i.e. those pre-written instructions are instructing it to allow javascript code or web applications to be run.
Chrome 5 and Firefox can be set up to block javascript by default, and any modern browser will ask permission to install/run web applications.
Actually, you don't. You can just manually remove them.
I find the success rate of manually removing malware/spyware better than with automatic tools.
Automatic tools just take less time - when they work.

I actually had MSE installed for a while, but it never actually did anything for me. So I uninstalled it.
Not because MSE isn't any good, but because I just never get infected with malware/spyware to begin with.

If I did, I would just manually remove it.

You aren't going to remove a rootkit by yourself, its possible there are weak ones but most aren't.... As far as I know and remember, there are 2 rootkits out there that have no known removal, a complete format/reinstall it needed, seen it once or twice here and once at work.

There you go, you said it, the vast majority, what about the other majority where common sense won't come into play?

All infections such as rootkits aren't all browser based meaning your browser has nothing to do with it being installed on your system. Rootkits these days don't always come from the web, they come from USB sticks infected from the manufacture, SONY, remember that one??

Maybe you are one of the lucky ones that doesn't ever get infected (or won't admit it) but it will happen sooner or later, if you have been on the web for any amount of time, you have been infected with something at some point, it's impossible not to be and for anyone to say that haven't been, I will call them a liar. Infection doesn't have to be severe, it can be mild, or not even be noticed at all, because you are the next, next, next person that install software without paying attention which at times installs unwanted programs.

Most tools, when ran in the correct order, will remove the infection or have the complete power in its own to remove it. Some programs aren't as strong as others. Take malwarebytes for example. If you go thru my threads on here you will see me ask, many, many times in what order these programs were run. Sometimes combofix is needed to be ran first to so call "break" the infections so other programs can remove them or remove part of them or traces, etc.

While some browsers will protect better than others, infection is always a possibility. Not everyone uses the same browser or ever will for a very long time, if ever.

Then next time I have someone on here with a rootkit, I want you to take it over and tell him/her how to remove it without any tools.

PS: if you don't ever get infected why did you install MSE? And if MSE, AVG, Avast, etc just don't do anything for anyone, I would take it as a good thing because more than likely your system is free of infection.

 

[Apokalipse]

Re: Tech-Forums Top Rated Antivirus 2010

You aren't going to remove a rootkit by yourself, its possible there are weak ones but most aren't....

If the OS you're running can't remove it, boot into another OS.
Could even be DOS or Linux on a CD/USB stick.

There you go, you said it, the vast majority, what about the other majority where common sense won't come into play?

I already addressed that; Common sense still does come into play.
The type that infects your system automatically happen because the programs or the way your OS is set up allows it to.
In other words, set up your programs/OS so that they don't execute code unless you allow it to.
In your browsers, disable javascript by default. This can be done in Chrome and Firefox, and probably Opera.
The other exploits will be web applications, which just about any modern browser will ask for permission to run/install.
Flash is also blocked when javascript is (javascript code is needed to call flash to run)

All infections such as rootkits aren't all browser based meaning your browser has nothing to do with it being installed on your system. Rootkits these days don't always come from the web, they come from USB sticks infected from the manufacture, SONY, remember that one??

And they can run if autorun is enabled.
Again, set up your OS to not run code unless you allow it to.

Maybe you are one of the lucky ones that doesn't ever get infected (or won't admit it) but it will happen sooner or later

*puts on tinfoil hat*
If I do, I don't need an antivirus/antimalware program to remove it.

Also, luck hasn't got anything to do with why my system isn't infected.

You could technically argue that you're not 100% safe. Everybody who knows anything about security knows that.
The probability of getting infected if you know what you're doing is simply insignificant.
If 0.5% of people who know how to secure their system get infected every 10 years, then 99/5% of them don't. And the 0.5% of people who do probably know how to deal with it anyway.

If you're going to argue absolutes, the only thing that's absolutely certain is your own existence.

if you have been on the web for any amount of time, you have been infected with something at some point, it's impossible not to be and for anyone to say that haven't been, I will call them a liar.

Yes everybody at some point will most likely get infected. Nobody starts out automatically knowing how to secure their system.
But once you do have that knowledge, and have the will to continue to expand on that knowledge all the time, it basically becomes a non-issue.

Most tools, when ran in the correct order, will remove the infection or have the complete power in its own to remove it.

And when they can't, sometimes manual removal is the only option.

While some browsers will protect better than others, infection is always a possibility. Not everyone uses the same browser or ever will for a very long time, if ever.

Security is not simply a matter of which browser you use. It's how you configure it and how you browse.

Then next time I have someone on here with a rootkit, I want you to take it over and tell him/her how to remove it without any tools. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

It would be more difficult to explain it than to actually do it myself if I was actually there.

PS: if you don't ever get infected why did you install MSE?

I asked myself the same thing, and I haven't come up with an answer.

And if MSE, AVG, Avast, etc just don't do anything for anyone, I would take it as a good thing because more than likely your system is free of infection.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/COLOR]

I didn't say they didn't do anything for anyone. I said they didn't do anything for me.

 

[Osiris]

Re: Tech-Forums Top Rated Antivirus 2010

You should write up a tutorial on how to do all that you mentioned so we can make it a sticky once we test it to see how well it works.


You also need to think about the "normal" , "everyday user" that has no knowledge whatsoever on this topic. Not everyone can boot into another OS or know which browser is best for them, etc.

 

[Apokalipse]

Re: Tech-Forums Top Rated Antivirus 2010

Disable javascript by default, disable autorun, set-up your router to not accept incoming connections you haven't specifically allowed and don't respond to ping on WAN, use WPA2 + AES if you have a wireless connection, don't run suspicious files, don't run malware/spyware or allow other programs to install it alongside itself, keep UAC enabled, set NTFS drive permissions properly (don't allow anything to modify system files etc).

 

[KSoD]

Re: Tech-Forums Top Rated Antivirus 2010

Apok just about every browser has support to block Javascript now. IE has it with addons, Opera has it, Chrome, Firefox and Safari can have it as well. at least i think Safari has it. I havent used it in so long to test that out.

Along with that Opera, Firefox, Chrome, Dragon, and even IE have the ability for Flash block as well. Opera there is userjs files that can do it, along with a white list. IE with the IEPro addon can do both java and flash. For the other 3 there are the extensions.

So every major browser and even some of the not so major browsers have the ability to do what you say. It just comes down to if the user is willing to deal with the things that come along with doing such actions. Having to click that block to enable the flash video or not having a site work the way they expect cause they have javascript turned off. Some people just want things to work the way they want and dont want to worry about having to do anything extra to get that expected result.

 

[Apokalipse]

Re: Tech-Forums Top Rated Antivirus 2010

Hence where 99.9% of infections come from.
It is the ignorance of the average user that malware/spyware writers have by far the most success.

 

[remixedcat]

Re: Tech-Forums Top Rated Antivirus 2010

macafee is a joke. they almost blew up the planet.

I use nod32 and avast. works well.

 

[remixedcat]

Re: Tech-Forums Top Rated Antivirus 2010

Apok just about every browser has support to block Javascript now. IE has it with addons, Opera has it, Chrome, Firefox and Safari can have it as well. at least i think Safari has it. I havent used it in so long to test that out.
.

no addon needed to disable scripting. its in the browser settings. its disabled for the most part on my system. Then if I want to grant a nice site to use them I add it to trusted sites. my trusted sites has the security beefed up higher then default and my regular sites zone is beefed up but prompts me.